Google is further expanding itself from just a simple search engine by introducing the first global online science competition, the Google Science Fair, open to students worldwide.
The deadline for project submissions is April 4. Then, teachers from all backgrounds will evaluate the projects and announce 60 global semi-finalists, after which fifteen finalists will travel to Los Angeles for a convention in June. There, acclaimed scientists, including Nobel Laureates, will pick three winners (one from each age category: 13-14, 15-16, 17-18) and select a grand prize winner.
The winner will receive a $50,000 scholarship from Google; a work experience at Google, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, National Geographic, LEGO or Scientific American; a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with a National Geographic Explorer; a personalized LEGO prize and a package from Scientific American.
“The breathtaking prizes are a great incentive for children to really submit their best work,” said Evan Luthra, a Google Science fair participant and tenth grade student in New Delhi, India. “There are currently few other opportunities for students to receive this much recognition in the field of science.”
Participants are approaching their science fair projects in vastly different ways, from creating smartphone applications to investigating the cause of neurological diseases.
Junior Kevin Cheng is considering submitting an experiment he worked on during a summer internship at a local hospital. One project is aimed at confirming osteoporosis as a condition of sickle cell disease, and the other involved research to improve a new type of genetic therapy, Cheng said.
“Google’s initiative to create the Google Science Fair shows that they care about bringing future generations into science,” Cheng said.
Members of the Robotics team may also submit one of their robots to the Science Fair, club member junior Jonathan Tong said.
“We’re in the middle of build season for our yearly robot competition now, so an immediate submission would be tough,” he said. “But the science fair sounds interesting, so we could do something after build season is over.”
Students ages 13-18 can participate by signing up on the Google Science Fair website.
